A Bullet for Trust
1149 Words
Seraphina’s POV
“Damon!” I shouted, the voice tearing from my throat as the bullet boomed in the stairwell.
His body shook as the bullet skimmed his shoulder, but he didn’t flinch. He surged forward, disarming the man with a speed and precision that left me breathless. The revolver clattered to the ground, and Damon pushed the man against the wall, his forearm pressed on his throat.
“Who sent you?” Damon demanded, his voice a hoarse growl. Blood dripped from his wound, but he didn’t appear to notice. “Was it Elaine? Or is there someone else pulling the strings?”
The man chuckled, a chilly, hollow sound that sent a chill down my spine. “You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” he sneered. “Elaine isn’t the only one who wants you dead, St. Clair.”
Damon’s jaw clenched, his grip on the man’s throat merciless. “Who else?” he yelled, his tone razor-sharp. “Talk, or I swear—”
“Damon, stop!” I shouted, seizing his arm. “You’re hurt. Let Collins handle this.”
He turned to me, his eyes burning with a mixture of rage and desperation. “I don’t have time for Collins,” he yelled. “If there’s someone else involved, we need to know now.”
“Not like this,” I answered firmly, refusing to back down. “You’re bleeding, Damon. And if you kill him, we’ll lose our only chance to get answers.”
His look softened, only for a second, and I saw the vulnerability he tried so hard to disguise. With an angry snarl, he released the man, who sank on the floor, gasping for oxygen.
“Collins,” Damon barked as our ally caught up to us, his rifle ready. “Get him to talk.”
Collins nodded, dragging the man along the hallway. “Go,” he yelled over his shoulder. “I’ll buy you some time.”
“Let’s move,” Damon replied, seizing my hand. Despite the blood staining his shirt, his grip was solid, his determination unwavering.
As we made our way down the steps, my heart hammered with a mixture of terror and rage. “You can’t keep doing this, Damon,” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “Throwing yourself in front of bullets, acting like you’re invincible. One day, you’re not going to walk away.”
He gazed at me, his expression unreadable. “You think I’m reckless?” he questioned, his tone chilly. “Everything I’ve done has been to protect you, Seraphina. Every decision, every risk—it’s all been for you.”
“I didn’t ask for your protection,” I shot back, my voice rising. “I didn’t ask to be part of this mess in the first place.”
“Maybe not,” he answered, his jaw clenching. “But you’re in it now. And whether you like it or not, I’m not allowing anything to happen to you.”
His comments hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me gasping. I wanted to be angry, to shove him away, but the raw emotion in his voice made it impossible.
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why do you care so much, Damon?”
He stopped abruptly, turning to face me. The faint light on the stairway cast shadows across his face, but his eyes burned with an intensity that made my heart accelerate.
“Because you’re the only thing keeping me from losing myself,” he added, his voice raspy with passion. “You make me want to be better, Seraphina. You make me want to fight for something more.”
I glanced at him, my chest squeezing as his words set in. This wasn’t just about the deal anymore. This wasn’t just about Elaine or the merger. This was about us—about the unmistakable bond that had evolved between us despite the upheaval.
Before I could react, the door at the bottom of the stairway burst open, and two men stormed in, their rifles raised. Damon pushed me behind him, his body a shield while he drew his own weapon.
“Stay down,” he ordered, his tone leaving no space for debate.
The fight was finished in seconds. Damon moved with a precision and certainty that left me in amazement, bringing down both men before they could fire a single shot. But as the second man hit the ground, Damon faltered, his hand gripping his injured shoulder.
“Damon!” I went to his side, my hands quivering as I pressed over the wound. “You’re losing too much blood. We need to get you out of here.”
“I’m fine,” he muttered between clenched teeth, but his pallid visage revealed a different story.
“Stop pretending you’re invincible,” I yelled, tears stinging my eyes. “You’re not fine, Damon. You’re bleeding out, and if you don’t let me help you, you’re going to die.”
His palm enveloped mine, his touch warm despite the frost creeping into his skin. “I’m not leaving you,” he continued, his voice lower now. “Not until I know you’re safe.”
“And what about you?” I inquired, my voice breaking. “What happens to you if we don’t get out of here? What happens to us?”
He didn’t answer, his silence cutting worse than any words could. But the look in his eyes—raw, unguarded—spoke volumes. He wasn’t simply battling for himself. He was battling for me, for us, for a future he wasn’t sure we could have.
With a deep breath, I assisted him to his feet, my arm wrapped around his waist to support his weight. “We’re getting out of here,” I stated firmly. “Together.”
He nodded, his lips curling into a slight smile. “Together,” he echoed, his voice scarcely audible.
But as we moved into the corridor, a chilling voice halted us in our tracks.
“Well, well, well,” Elaine murmured, her heels tapping on the tile floor as she approached. “Isn’t this a touching moment?”
I stopped, my blood turning to ice as Elaine strode into the light, a revolver in her hand and a proud smile on her lips.
“You didn’t really think you could outmaneuver me, did you?” she snarled, her gaze flitting between Damon and me. “It’s over, St. Clair. And this time, you’re not going away.”
Damon straightened, his body tight despite the blood streaming from his wound. “If you want to finish this, Elaine,” he said, his voice calm and chilly, “then let’s finish it.”
And just like that, the fragile balance between life and death broke around us.
- Writer
